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EP0023231B1 - Optical lithographic method and apparatus for copying a pattern onto a semiconductor wafer - Google Patents

Optical lithographic method and apparatus for copying a pattern onto a semiconductor wafer Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0023231B1
EP0023231B1 EP79102675A EP79102675A EP0023231B1 EP 0023231 B1 EP0023231 B1 EP 0023231B1 EP 79102675 A EP79102675 A EP 79102675A EP 79102675 A EP79102675 A EP 79102675A EP 0023231 B1 EP0023231 B1 EP 0023231B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
liquid
semiconductor disk
projection lens
disk
semiconductor wafer
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP79102675A
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German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0023231A1 (en
Inventor
Werner W. Dr. Tabarelli
Ernst Dr. Löbach
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Mercotrust AG Te Vaduz Liechtenst
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Individual
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Filing date
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Priority to DE7979102675T priority Critical patent/DE2963537D1/en
Priority to EP79102675A priority patent/EP0023231B1/en
Priority to AT79102675T priority patent/ATE1462T1/en
Publication of EP0023231A1 publication Critical patent/EP0023231A1/en
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Publication of EP0023231B1 publication Critical patent/EP0023231B1/en
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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
    • G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
    • G03F7/20—Exposure; Apparatus therefor
    • G03F7/2041—Exposure; Apparatus therefor in the presence of a fluid, e.g. immersion; using fluid cooling means
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/027—Making masks on semiconductor bodies for further photolithographic processing not provided for in group H01L21/18 or H01L21/34
    • H01L21/0271—Making masks on semiconductor bodies for further photolithographic processing not provided for in group H01L21/18 or H01L21/34 comprising organic layers
    • H01L21/0273—Making masks on semiconductor bodies for further photolithographic processing not provided for in group H01L21/18 or H01L21/34 comprising organic layers characterised by the treatment of photoresist layers
    • H01L21/0274—Photolithographic processes
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
    • G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
    • G03F7/70—Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor
    • G03F7/70216—Mask projection systems
    • G03F7/70241—Optical aspects of refractive lens systems, i.e. comprising only refractive elements
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
    • G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
    • G03F7/70—Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor
    • G03F7/70216—Mask projection systems
    • G03F7/70341—Details of immersion lithography aspects, e.g. exposure media or control of immersion liquid supply
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
    • G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
    • G03F7/70—Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor
    • G03F7/708—Construction of apparatus, e.g. environment aspects, hygiene aspects or materials
    • G03F7/70858—Environment aspects, e.g. pressure of beam-path gas, temperature
    • G03F7/70866—Environment aspects, e.g. pressure of beam-path gas, temperature of mask or workpiece
    • G03F7/70875—Temperature, e.g. temperature control of masks or workpieces via control of stage temperature
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
    • G03F—PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR
    • G03F7/00—Photomechanical, e.g. photolithographic, production of textured or patterned surfaces, e.g. printing surfaces; Materials therefor, e.g. comprising photoresists; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
    • G03F7/70—Microphotolithographic exposure; Apparatus therefor
    • G03F7/708—Construction of apparatus, e.g. environment aspects, hygiene aspects or materials
    • G03F7/70858—Environment aspects, e.g. pressure of beam-path gas, temperature
    • G03F7/70883—Environment aspects, e.g. pressure of beam-path gas, temperature of optical system
    • G03F7/70891—Temperature
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02104—Forming layers
    • H01L21/02107—Forming insulating materials on a substrate
    • H01L21/02109—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates
    • H01L21/02112—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates characterised by the material of the layer
    • H01L21/02118—Forming insulating materials on a substrate characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates characterised by the material of the layer carbon based polymeric organic or inorganic material, e.g. polyimides, poly cyclobutene or PVC

Definitions

  • Electron beam lithography is already practically applicable today for mask production, but direct processing of the semiconductor wafer with electron beams is not only very complicated, but also much too expensive due to the low throughput, quite apart from the fact that a series of fundamentally new methods is introduced when such a process is introduced Experience gained in photolithography, for example regarding the use of certain photoresists, cannot be used.
  • X-ray lithography is at an even earlier experimental stage and its development is not only opposed by the lack of sufficiently strong X-ray sources, but also by the low efficiency of these sources and a complicated mask technique.
  • the specific advantage achieved for surfaces structured for lithography is achieved that the resolving power despite a smaller angle of incidence can be maintained and the risk of vignetting with the same NA can be reduced.
  • the use of an immersion liquid achieves the same effect as that sought by the transition to the use of UV light: by using UV light: by using shorter wavelengths, the limit of the diffraction effect is reduced Resolving power postponed, but this without leaving the range of visible light or having to move far away from it, since in the case of the invention the change in wavelength is not caused by a change in frequency but by a change in the refractive index.
  • the penetrating light decays according to the weakening coefficient of the lacquer, strikes the lacquer-substrate interface more or less weakened and is partly absorbed and partly reflected by it.
  • This reflected portion in turn, moves back towards the lacquer-air interface under weakening, is in turn partly reflected, partly transmitted in a broken manner. In some places there is even total reflection.
  • the light waves running back and forth within the lacquer layer interfere and form standing waves. These standing waves contribute significantly to the exposure of the paint.
  • the intensity of the standing waves is highly dependent on the local paint thickness.
  • the formation of standing waves is weakened if significant absorption occurs within the paint or at the paint-substrate interface. In general, however, this situation does not exist.
  • the pane coated with a lacquer layer is immersed in an immersion liquid whose refractive index matches that of the lacquer, the lacquer-air or lacquer-immersion liquid interface completely disappears from the optics point of view.
  • the interference effects discussed above are therefore completely eliminated.
  • finer lines can now be reproduced with the same NA.
  • n approx. 1.6
  • the immersion liquid should have a wetting effect on the paint. Loose particles are washed away and cannot lead to an enlargement effect.
  • the immersion liquid must be easily removable from the lacquer layer, so that further processing is possible without problems.
  • a limited water absorption capacity is beneficial because small water droplets do not are completely avoidable, thereby dissolving and making them optically ineffective.
  • Low viscosity facilitates the escape of gas bubbles, which have an optical and dusty effect, and enables the immersion liquid to be filtered quickly.
  • the easiest way to continuously check the state of the immersion liquid is to use a device in which the suction plate, which holds the semiconductor wafer during the exposure process, forms the bottom of a container through which the immersion liquid slowly circulates. In this way, not only can the liquid supply be kept constant, but it is also possible to continuously remove impurities by filtering and to use the immersion liquid to keep the temperature of the semiconductor wafer constant.
  • the solution to the latter problem is so important because, of course, it is of little use to advance the accuracy of the optical imaging into the submicron range, if at the same time the semiconductor wafer is not prevented from moving under the influence of thermal fluctuations relative to the impinging beams.
  • an incident bundle of rays is prevented from reaching points lying in a depression of the surface of a semiconductor wafer, for example, if the slope leading to the depression is steeper than the incidence of light, so if a ⁇ 8. 1 b, disturbing effects already occur when the incident rays still hit the embankment leading to the depression, but are incident almost parallel to it.
  • Such a grazing incidence leads to underexposure of the embankment area and corresponding overexposure to the bottom of the depression by reflected rays.
  • the photosensitive lacquer layer 7 on the pane 8 has considerable differences in thickness. This is due to the fact that after application, the liquid lacquer initially forms a flat lacquer surface, regardless of the underlying structure, which, after drying due to the escape of the solvent, does roughly but not exactly follow the profile of the substrate surface. Recesses on the surface are covered with a much higher layer of lacquer than projections on the surface.
  • the disadvantages mentioned can be avoided if the semiconductor wafer 8 to be exposed, like the projection objective 3, is immersed in a liquid 6 during the exposure, as is shown schematically in FIG. 3.
  • the second group of liquids also has the advantage that they can dissolve the smallest water droplets, so that they cannot act as small spherical lenses.
  • the use of the immersion liquid 6 automatically increases the numerical aperture of the arrangement in accordance with the refractive index of the liquid, as a result of which the resolving power increases.
  • the lens with the opening angle up to the limit given by the occurrence of vignetting, since at a certain opening angle the image error of an immersion lens is less than that of the dry system.
  • the elimination of the effects of the dry system on the paint surface allows imaging with a significantly reduced image contrast and thus a further reduction in the transferable line width. Another effect that has nothing to do with the optical device and the pattern shown by it, but whose importance should not be underestimated, is discussed below:
  • Both the cleaning and the temperature stabilization of the semiconductor wafer result in the device shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 as a natural consequence of the inventive concept.
  • the semiconductor wafer 8 held on the carrier 1 by vacuum lines 9 is both kept clean and tempered by the liquid 6, constant conditions being always produced by leads 4 and leads 5 leading into the container 2.
  • These supply and discharge lines which are designed flexibly and allow the shift in the X and Y directions and the adjustment in the Z direction necessary for step-wise exposure, belong to a circuit which, in addition to a storage container (not shown), a pump 10 and a filter 11 and a heating or cooling temperature control device 12 depending on the determined temperature.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Toxicology (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Atmospheric Sciences (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
  • Epidemiology (AREA)
  • Public Health (AREA)
  • Exposure And Positioning Against Photoresist Photosensitive Materials (AREA)
  • Exposure Of Semiconductors, Excluding Electron Or Ion Beam Exposure (AREA)
  • Manufacturing Optical Record Carriers (AREA)

Abstract

1. A photolithographic method of copying a pattern onto a semiconductor disk, particularly for the manufacture of integrated circuits, whereby a mask is imaged onto a photosensitive layer of the semiconductor disk by means of an interposed projection lens, characterized in that at least during exposure the space between the semiconductor disk and the boundary face of the projection lens facing the disk remains filled with a transparent liquid.

Description

Durch moderne Dotiertechniken und hochentwickelte Verfahren zur Abscheidung von Schichten auf Halbleiteroberflächen ist heute die Strukturierung in vertikaler Richtung bei der Fertigung integrierter Schaltungen bereits in einem Ausmaß möglich, hinter dem die Möglichkeiten zur Strukturierung in horizontaler Richtung weit zurückbleiben. Einer Verfeinerung der Strukturierung integrierter Schaltungen in der Lateraldimension der Halbleiterscheibe gelten daher derzeit intesive Bemühungen. In diesem Sinne findet einerseits ein Übergang von der Ganzscheibenbelichtung zur schrittweisen Belichtung mit einer Vielzahl identischer Schaltungen versehener Halbleiterscheiben statt. Parallel dazu verläuft die Suche nach Alternativen zur optischen Lithographie auf der heute alle praktisch angewandten Verfahren zur Herstellung integrierter Schaltungen beruhen. Insbesondere handelt es sich hiebei um die Elektronenstrahllithographie und die Röntgenstrahllithographie. Die Elektronenstrahllithographie ist zwar zur Maskenherstellung heute schon praktisch anwendbar, die direkte Bearbeitung der Halbleiterscheibe mit Elektronenstrahlen ist jedoch nicht nur sehr kompliziert, sondern schon durch den geringen Durchsatz viel zu teuer, ganz abgesehen davon, daß bei der Einführung eines solchen grundsätzlich neuen Verfahrens eine Reihe in der Photolithographie gesammelter Erfahrungen, beispielsweise betreffend die Verwendung bestimmter Photolacke, nicht anwendbar sind. Die Röntgenstrahllithographie befindet sich in einem noch früheren Experimentalstadium und ihrer Entwicklung steht nicht nur das Fehlen hinreichend starker Röntgenquellen, sondern auch der geringe Wirkungsgrad dieser Quellen und eine komplizierte Maskentechnik entgegen.Modern doping techniques and highly developed processes for the deposition of layers on semiconductor surfaces mean that structuring in the vertical direction in the manufacture of integrated circuits is already possible to an extent that the possibilities for structuring in the horizontal direction lag far behind. Intensive efforts are currently being made to refine the structuring of integrated circuits in the lateral dimension of the semiconductor wafer. In this sense, on the one hand there is a transition from full-disk exposure to step-wise exposure of semiconductor wafers provided with a large number of identical circuits. At the same time, there is a search for alternatives to optical lithography on which all practically used processes for manufacturing integrated circuits are based today. In particular, it is electron beam lithography and X-ray lithography. Electron beam lithography is already practically applicable today for mask production, but direct processing of the semiconductor wafer with electron beams is not only very complicated, but also much too expensive due to the low throughput, quite apart from the fact that a series of fundamentally new methods is introduced when such a process is introduced Experience gained in photolithography, for example regarding the use of certain photoresists, cannot be used. X-ray lithography is at an even earlier experimental stage and its development is not only opposed by the lack of sufficiently strong X-ray sources, but also by the low efficiency of these sources and a complicated mask technique.

Praktische Fortschritte sind in der skizzierten Situation am raschesten durch eine Verbesserung in der optischen Lithographie, bei der durch lokale Belichtung einer Photolackschicht lokale Änderungen in der molekularen Struktur des Lacks erzielt werden, zu erwarten. In diesem Sinne strebt man durch Verwendung von sogenanntem « tiefen UV-Licht (etwa 270 nm) ein höheres Auflösungsvermögen an, verschiebt also die durch Beugungseffekte gezogene Grenze. Das Arbeiten in diesem Wellenlängenbereich hat vor allem den Nachteil, daß die herkömmlichen optischen Komponenten, also Objektive, Filter, aber auch Photolacke erst mühsam entwickelt werden müssen. Ein weiterer Nachteil entsteht daraus, daß die Justierarbeiten, die ein Kernproblem aller industriellen Lithographieverfahren darstellen, am besten mit sichtbarem Licht durchgeführt werden. Bei Verwendung von UV-Licht als Belichtungslicht müssen also die Einstellarbeiten entweder mit im Spektrum entfernt liegendem sichtbarem Licht und mit den daraus resultierenden Ungenauigkeiten ausgeführt werden, oder es muß das mühsame und schwierige Arbeiten mit UV-Detektoren in Kauf genommen werden.In the situation outlined, practical progress can be expected most quickly through an improvement in optical lithography, in which local changes in the molecular structure of the lacquer are achieved by locally exposing a photoresist layer. In this sense, the aim is to use a so-called “deep UV light (about 270 nm) to achieve a higher resolution, that is, to shift the limit drawn by diffraction effects. Working in this wavelength range has the disadvantage that the conventional optical components, that is, lenses, filters, but also photoresists, first have to be painstakingly developed. Another disadvantage arises from the fact that the adjustment work, which is a core problem of all industrial lithography processes, is best carried out with visible light. When using UV light as exposure light, the adjustment work must either be carried out with visible light located in the spectrum and with the inaccuracies resulting therefrom, or the tedious and difficult work with UV detectors has to be accepted.

Grundsätzlich ist es möglich, das Auflösungsvermögen eines Objektivs dadurch zu verbessern, daß der Öffnungswinkel vergrößert wird. Hiebei sind jedoch nicht nur von der Konstruktion der Projektionsobjektive her Grenzen gesetzt, sondern vor allem durch ein typisches Problem der Lithographie struktuerierter Oberflächen, nämlich der Vignettierung, also der Abschattung von Teilen der abbildenden Strahlen durch vorstehende Teile der Halbleiteroberfläche. Der Öffnungswinkel liegt bei Einrichtungen zur Photolithographie aufgrund dieses Effekts notwendigerweise unter jenem Betrag, bei dem an der Grenzfläche des ebenen Substrates Totalreflexion auftreten würde, weshalb Maßnahmen zur Ausschaltung der Totalreflexion zum Zweck der Vergrößerung des Öffnungswinkels nicht in Betracht gezogen wurden. Der Erfindung liegt die Überlegung zugrunde, daß eine ansonsten unter dem Gesichtspunkt der Ausschaltung der Totalreflexion betrachtete Maßnahme, nämlich die Verwendung einer Immersionsflüssigkeit, in der Photolithographie trotz des hier notwendigerweise beschränkten Öffnungswinkels mit Erfolg angewendet werden kann. Dies ist deshalb der Fall, weil das Auflösungsvermögen des Projektionsobjektivs mit der numerischen Apertur (NA) steigt, welche durch die Beziehung NA = n sin 8 (n Brechungsindex, 8 halber Öffnungswinkel) gegeben ist. Die Einführung einer Immersionsflüssigkeit steigert somit das Auflösungsvermögen durch Steigerung des Brechungsindex.In principle, it is possible to improve the resolution of a lens by increasing the opening angle. However, there are limits not only to the design of the projection lenses, but above all to a typical problem in the lithography of structured surfaces, namely vignetting, i.e. the shadowing of parts of the imaging rays by protruding parts of the semiconductor surface. Due to this effect, the aperture angle in photolithography devices is necessarily less than the amount at which total reflection would occur at the interface of the flat substrate, which is why measures to switch off the total reflection for the purpose of increasing the aperture angle were not considered. The invention is based on the consideration that a measure which is otherwise considered from the point of view of eliminating total reflection, namely the use of an immersion liquid, can be successfully used in photolithography despite the necessarily limited opening angle here. This is because the resolution of the projection lens increases with the numerical aperture (NA), which is given by the relationship NA = n sin 8 (n refractive index, 8 half opening angle). The introduction of an immersion liquid thus increases the resolving power by increasing the refractive index.

Wenn also erfindungsgemäß vorgesehen ist, daß wenigstens während des Belichtungsvorganges der Zwischenraum zwischen der Scheibe und der dieser zugewandten Grenzfläche des Projektionsobjektivs mit einer lichtdurchlässigen Flüssigkeit gefüllt gehalten wird, so wird hiedurch der für die Lithographie strukturierter Oberflächen spezifische Vorteil erzielt, daß das Auflösungsvermögen trotz kleinerer Einfallwinkel aufrechterhalten und die Gefahr einer Vignettierung bei gleicher NA verringert werden kann. In gewissem Sinn wird durch die Verwendung einer Immersionsflüssigkeit der gleiche Effekt erzielt, wie er durch den Übergang zur Verwendung von UV-Licht angestrebt wird : durch die Verwendung von UV-Licht angestrebt wird : durch die Verwendung kürzerer Wellenlängen wird die durch Beugungseffekte gezogene Grenze des Auflösungsvermögens hinausgeschoben, dies jedoch ohne den Bereich des sichtbaren Lichtes verlassen oder sich weit davon entfernen zu müssen, da im Falle der Erfindung die Änderung der Wellenlänge ja nicht durch eine Frequenzänderung, sondern durch Änderung des Brechungsindex zustande kommt.If, according to the invention, it is provided that at least during the exposure process the space between the pane and the interface of the projection lens facing it is kept filled with a translucent liquid, the specific advantage achieved for surfaces structured for lithography is achieved that the resolving power despite a smaller angle of incidence can be maintained and the risk of vignetting with the same NA can be reduced. In a sense, the use of an immersion liquid achieves the same effect as that sought by the transition to the use of UV light: by using UV light: by using shorter wavelengths, the limit of the diffraction effect is reduced Resolving power postponed, but this without leaving the range of visible light or having to move far away from it, since in the case of the invention the change in wavelength is not caused by a change in frequency but by a change in the refractive index.

Die Tragweite der Erfindung im Rahmen der Herstellung von integrierten Schaltungen geht dadurch wesentlich über das bisher angeführte hinaus, als ohne weiteres die Möglichkeit besteht, bei der Wahl der erfindungsgemäß vorgesehenen Immersionsflüssigkeiten auf die Eigenschaften, insbesondere den Brechungsindex, des verwendeten Photolacks Rücksicht zu nehmen.The scope of the invention in the context of the production of integrated circuits is thus much greater than what has been stated so far In addition, when there is no further possibility to take into account the properties, in particular the refractive index, of the photoresist used when choosing the immersion liquids provided according to the invention.

Eines der ganz großen Probleme bei der Belichtung von Photolackschichten auf Halbleiterscheiben, insbesondere bei der Erzeugung feiner Strukturen, ist die homogene Belichtung des gesamten Bildfeldes. Eine Ungleichmäßigkeit von ca. 1 % gilt dabei als guter Richtwert. Die gleichmäßige Ausleuchtung des Bildfeldes ist zwar eine notwendige, aber längst noch keine ausreichende Bedingung für das erstrebte Ziel. Dieses wäre nur dann der Fall, wenn die Halbleiterscheibenoberfläche mit der auf ihr befindlichen Lackschicht selbst homogen wäre. Dies ist aber spätestens nach dem ersten Lithographie-Schritt nicht mehr der Fall, da ja nun die ersten gewünschten Strukturen erzeugt worden sind. Im allgemeinen befinden sich während der verschiedenen Herstellungsschritte einer integrierten Schaltung auf der Halbleiteroberfläche zahlreiche Stufen, Gräfen, Erhöhungen, Böschungen etc. Dabei bezieht sich die Inhomogenität der Oberfläche nicht nur auf die Topographie, sondern auch auf die unterschiedliche Zusammensetzung und Kristallstruktur einzelner Bereiche auf der Oberfläche. In diesem Zusammenhang interessiert lediglich das mit dem unterschiedlichen Aufbau zusammenhängende variierende Reflexionsvermögen dieser Bereiche.One of the very big problems in the exposure of photoresist layers on semiconductor wafers, especially in the production of fine structures, is the homogeneous exposure of the entire image field. An unevenness of approx. 1% is a good guideline. Even illumination of the image field is a necessary, but by no means a sufficient condition for the desired goal. This would only be the case if the semiconductor wafer surface itself was homogeneous with the lacquer layer on it. However, this is no longer the case after the first lithography step at the latest, since the first desired structures have now been produced. In general, during the various manufacturing steps of an integrated circuit, there are numerous steps, griffs, ridges, embankments etc. on the semiconductor surface. The inhomogeneity of the surface relates not only to the topography, but also to the different composition and crystal structure of individual areas on the surface . In this context, only the varying reflectivity of these areas related to the different structure is of interest.

Wird nun auf eine solche Oberfläche eine Photolackschicht aufgebracht, so ergeben sich unweigerlich Schwankungen der Lackdicke. Nach dem Trockungsprozess folgt das Profil der Lackoberfläche nur bedingt dem Profil der Grenzfläche Lack-Substrat.If a photoresist layer is now applied to such a surface, fluctuations in the lacquer thickness inevitably result. After the drying process, the profile of the lacquer surface only partially follows the profile of the lacquer-substrate interface.

Fällt Licht auf eine solche Lackschicht, so treten nacheinander folgende physikalische Erscheinungen auf :

  • Das auftreffende Licht wird an der Grenzfläche Luft-Lack zum Teil reflektiert, zum Teil gebrochen. Der gebrochene Anteil dringt in die Lackschicht ein und trägt zur Belichtung bei (sofern es sich um Licht der Belichtungswellenlänge handelt). Bei streifender Inzidenz, z.B. an steilen Böschungen der Lackoberfläche, steigt der reflektierte Anteil stark an.
If light falls on such a lacquer layer, the following physical phenomena occur in succession:
  • The incident light is partly reflected and partly refracted at the air-lacquer interface. The broken part penetrates into the lacquer layer and contributes to the exposure (if it is light of the exposure wavelength). In the event of grazing incidence, for example on steep slopes of the lacquer surface, the reflected portion rises sharply.

Das eindringende Licht klingt entsprechend dem Schwächungskoeffizienten des Lacks ab, trifft mehr oder weniger geschwächt auf die Grenzfläche Lack-Substrat und wird von dieser teils absorbiert, teils reflektiert.The penetrating light decays according to the weakening coefficient of the lacquer, strikes the lacquer-substrate interface more or less weakened and is partly absorbed and partly reflected by it.

Dieser reflektierte Anteil bewegt sich seinerseits unter Schwächung wieder auf die Grenzfläche Lack-Luft zu, wird an dieser wiederum teils reflektiert, teils gebrochen transmittiert. An einzelnen Stellen kommt es sogar zur Totalreflexion.This reflected portion, in turn, moves back towards the lacquer-air interface under weakening, is in turn partly reflected, partly transmitted in a broken manner. In some places there is even total reflection.

Die innerhalb der Lackschicht hin und her laufenden Lichtwellen interferieren und bilden stehende Wellen aus. Diese stehenden Wellen tragen wesentlich zur Belichtung des Lacks bei. Die Intensität der stehenden Wellen ist in hohem Maße abhängig von der lokalen Lackdicke. Die Ausbildung stehender Wellen wird abgeschwächt, wenn innerhalb des Lackes bzw. an der Grenzfläche Lack-Substrat eine nennenswerte Absorption auftritt. Diese Situation ist aber im allgemeinen nicht gegeben.The light waves running back and forth within the lacquer layer interfere and form standing waves. These standing waves contribute significantly to the exposure of the paint. The intensity of the standing waves is highly dependent on the local paint thickness. The formation of standing waves is weakened if significant absorption occurs within the paint or at the paint-substrate interface. In general, however, this situation does not exist.

Die hohe Reflexion bei streifender Inzidenz an Böschungen und die unterschiedliche Intensität stehender Wellen durch schwankende Lackdicke sind hauptsächlich dafür verantwortlich, daß trotz gleichmäßiger Beleuchtung eine inhomogene Belichtung von Lackschichten auf strukturierten Halbleiterscheiben stattfindet. Diese unhomogene Belichtung ist die Ursach für eine Variation der Linienbreiten von aus der Lackschicht zu erzeugenden linienhaften Strukturen. Je stärker die oben genannten Effekte auftreten, um so größer sind die Anforderungen an den Bildkontrast, d.h. die sogenannten MTF-Werte (von modulation transfer function) müssen dann für eine scharfe Abbildung groß sein. Umgekehrt können beim Fehlen der Störeffekte auch kleinere MTF-Werte verarbeitet werden, d.h., daß bei einer gegebenen numerischen Apertur feinere Linien abgebildet werden können.The high reflection with grazing incidence on embankments and the different intensity of standing waves due to fluctuating lacquer thickness are mainly responsible for the fact that, despite uniform lighting, an inhomogeneous exposure of lacquer layers on structured semiconductor wafers takes place. This inhomogeneous exposure is the reason for a variation in the line widths of linear structures to be produced from the lacquer layer. The stronger the effects mentioned above, the greater the demands on the image contrast, i.e. the so-called MTF values (from modulation transfer function) must then be large for a sharp image. Conversely, in the absence of the interference effects, smaller MTF values can also be processed, i.e. that finer lines can be imaged for a given numerical aperture.

Nach dem Stand der Technik gelingt es nur sehr unvollkommen, die erwähnten Störeffekte auszuschalten, indem man versucht, Lackdickenschwankungen gering zu hatten und im übrigen Photolacke mit hoher Eigenabsorption zu verwenden, die aber wiederum den Nachteil hoher Belichtungszeiten aufweisen.According to the state of the art, it is very incomplete to eliminate the above-mentioned interference effects by trying to have varnish thickness fluctuations small and to use photoresists with high self-absorption, which in turn have the disadvantage of high exposure times.

Wird hingegen nach der bevorzugten Ausführungsform der Erfindung die mit einer Lackschicht überzogene Scheibe in eine Immersionsflüssigkeit getaucht, deren Brechungsindex mit dem des Lackes übereinstimmt, so verschwindet die Grenzfläche Lack-Luft bzw. Lack-Immersionsflüssigkeit vom Standpunkt der Optik aus vollständig. Mithin entfallen die oben diskutierten Störeffekte vollständig. Als Folge können nun bei gleicher NA feinere Linien abgebildet werden.On the other hand, if, according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, the pane coated with a lacquer layer is immersed in an immersion liquid whose refractive index matches that of the lacquer, the lacquer-air or lacquer-immersion liquid interface completely disappears from the optics point of view. The interference effects discussed above are therefore completely eliminated. As a result, finer lines can now be reproduced with the same NA.

Die Immersionsflüssigkeit soll also vorzugsweise einen Brechungsindex aufweisen, der nahe bei dem des Photolackes (n = ca. 1,6) liegt, ihr Absorptionskoeffizient auf den Arbeitswellenlängen soll vernachlässigbar sein. Natürlich muß sie so beschaffen sein, daß sie den Photolack nicht angreift, d.h. diesen nicht auflöst oder sonst irgendwie chemisch nachteilig reagiert, auch nicht unter dem Einfluß der Lichtstrahlung. Sie darf sich auch selbst nicht unter Strahlungseinfluß zersetzen und sollte sich gegen die verwendeten Baumaterialien inert verhalten. Um auch kleinste Zwischenräume auf der Lackoberfläche ausfüllen zu können, soll die Immersionsflüssigkeit gegenüber dem Lack benetzend wirken. Lose Partikel werden dabei unterspült und können dadurch nicht zu einem Vergrößerungseffekt führen. Trotz guter Benetzung muß die Immersionsflüssigkeit aber leicht von der Lackschicht ablösbar sein, damit eine problemlose Weiterbearbeitung möglich ist. Eine beschränkte Aufnahmefähigkeit von Wasser ist vorteilhaft, da kleine Wassertröpfchen, die nicht ganz vermeidbar sind, dadurch aufgelöst und optisch unwirksam gemacht werden. Geringe Viskosität erleichtert das Entweichen von Gasblasen, die sich optiscn wie staubpartikel auswirken und ermöglicht ein rasches Filtrieren der Immersionsflüssig keit.The immersion liquid should therefore preferably have a refractive index that is close to that of the photoresist (n = approx. 1.6), and its absorption coefficient at the working wavelengths should be negligible. Of course, it must be such that it does not attack the photoresist, ie it does not dissolve it or otherwise react chemically disadvantageously, not even under the influence of light radiation. It must also not decompose itself under the influence of radiation and should be inert towards the building materials used. In order to be able to fill even the smallest gaps on the paint surface, the immersion liquid should have a wetting effect on the paint. Loose particles are washed away and cannot lead to an enlargement effect. Despite good wetting, the immersion liquid must be easily removable from the lacquer layer, so that further processing is possible without problems. A limited water absorption capacity is beneficial because small water droplets do not are completely avoidable, thereby dissolving and making them optically ineffective. Low viscosity facilitates the escape of gas bubbles, which have an optical and dusty effect, and enables the immersion liquid to be filtered quickly.

Die dauernde Kontrolle des Zustandes der Immersionsflüssigkeit gelingt am einfachsten unter Verwendung einer Einrichtung, bei der die Ansaugplatte, welche die Halbleiterscheibe während des Belichtungsvorganges festhält den Boden eines Behälters bildet, durch welche die lmmersionsflüssigkeit langsam zirkuliert. Auf diese Weise kann nicht nur der Flüssigkeitsvorrat konstant gehalten werden, sondern es ist auch möglich, Verunreinigungen laufend durch Filterung zu entfernen und die Immersionsflüssigkeit zur Konstanthaltung der Temperatur der Halbleiterscheibe heranzuziehen. Die Lösung der letztgenannten Aufgabe ist deshalb so wichtig, weil es natürlich wenig bringt, die Genauigkeit der optischen Abbildung in den Submikronbereich vorzutreiben, wenn nicht gleichzeitig verhindert wird, daß sich die Halbleiterscheibe unter dem Einfluß von Wärmeschwankungen relativ zu den auftreffenden Strahlen bewegt.The easiest way to continuously check the state of the immersion liquid is to use a device in which the suction plate, which holds the semiconductor wafer during the exposure process, forms the bottom of a container through which the immersion liquid slowly circulates. In this way, not only can the liquid supply be kept constant, but it is also possible to continuously remove impurities by filtering and to use the immersion liquid to keep the temperature of the semiconductor wafer constant. The solution to the latter problem is so important because, of course, it is of little use to advance the accuracy of the optical imaging into the submicron range, if at the same time the semiconductor wafer is not prevented from moving under the influence of thermal fluctuations relative to the impinging beams.

Anschließend wird die Erfindung anhand der Zeichnungen näher erläutert :

  • Figur 1a und b illustriert dabei anhand von Ausschnitten durch die vertikal geschnittene Oberfläche der Halbleiterscheibe die Limitierung des Öffnungswinkels,
  • Figur 2 zeigt an einem Querschnitt durch den Halbleiter das Problem des Lackdickenschwankungen,
  • Figur 3 zeigt das Prinzip der Erfindung an einem schematischen Querschnitt durch Projektionsobjektiv und Halbleiterscheibe,
  • Figur 4 gibt anhand einer Seitenansicht der gesamten Belichtungseinrichtung eine Vorstellung von der tatsächlichen Anordnung der erfindungsgemäßen Einrichtung.
The invention is then explained in more detail with reference to the drawings:
  • 1a and b illustrate the limitation of the opening angle with the aid of sections through the vertically cut surface of the semiconductor wafer,
  • FIG. 2 shows the problem of varnish thickness fluctuations on a cross section through the semiconductor,
  • FIG. 3 shows the principle of the invention in a schematic cross section through the projection objective and semiconductor wafer,
  • FIG. 4 gives an idea of the actual arrangement of the device according to the invention on the basis of a side view of the entire exposure device.

Wie in Fig. 1a dargestellt, wird ein einfallendes Strahlenbüschel daran gehindert, in einer Vertiefung der Oberfläche beispielsweise einer Halbleiterscheibe liegende Punkte zu erreichen, wenn die zur Vertiefung führende Böschung steiler ist als der Lichteinfall, wenn also gilt a < 8. Wie aus Fig. 1 b hervorgeht, treten jedoch störende Effekte auch bereits dann auf, wenn die einfallenden Strahlen die zur Vertiefung führende Böschung zwar noch treffen, jedoch nahezu parallel zu dieser einfallen. Eine derartige streifende Inzidenz führt zu Unterbelichtung des Böschungsbereiches und entsprechender Überbelichtung des Grundes der Vertiefung durch reflektierte Strahlen. Im Zusammenhang mit Fig. 2, welche den Querschnitt durch die Oberflächenstruktur einer bereits mehreren Belichtungsschritten unterworfenen Halbleiterscheibe, wenn auch in zehnfacher Überhöhung, zeigt, wird klar, daß die Begrenzung des Öffnungswinkels zur Vermeidung von Vignettierungseffekten ein wesentliches Anliegen der Halbleiterlithographie ist.As shown in Fig. 1a, an incident bundle of rays is prevented from reaching points lying in a depression of the surface of a semiconductor wafer, for example, if the slope leading to the depression is steeper than the incidence of light, so if a <8. 1 b, disturbing effects already occur when the incident rays still hit the embankment leading to the depression, but are incident almost parallel to it. Such a grazing incidence leads to underexposure of the embankment area and corresponding overexposure to the bottom of the depression by reflected rays. In connection with FIG. 2, which shows the cross section through the surface structure of a semiconductor wafer which has already been subjected to a plurality of exposure steps, even if it is increased tenfold, it becomes clear that the limitation of the opening angle to avoid vignetting effects is a major concern of semiconductor lithography.

Wie ebenfalls aus Fig. 2 hervorgeht, weist die photoempfindliche Lackschicht 7 auf der Scheibe 8 erhebliche Dickenunterschiede auf. Diese rühren daher, daß nach dem Auftragen der flüssige Lack zunächst ungeachtet der darunterlie, genden Struktur eine ebene Lackoberfläche bildet, die nach dem Trocknen infolge des Entweichens des Lösungsmittels zwar in etwa, jedoch nicht genau, dem Profil der Substratoberfläche folgt. Vertiefungen der Oberfläche sind mit einer wesentlich höheren Lackschicht bedeckt, als Vorsprünge der Oberfläche.As can also be seen from FIG. 2, the photosensitive lacquer layer 7 on the pane 8 has considerable differences in thickness. This is due to the fact that after application, the liquid lacquer initially forms a flat lacquer surface, regardless of the underlying structure, which, after drying due to the escape of the solvent, does roughly but not exactly follow the profile of the substrate surface. Recesses on the surface are covered with a much higher layer of lacquer than projections on the surface.

Die dargestellten Schwankungen in der Lackdicke führen dadurch zu erheblichen Konsequenzen, als es von der Lackdicke abhängt, ob sich die in der Lackschicht entstehenden stehenden Wellen durch Interferenz verstärken oder schwächen. Betreffend die dieser Erscheinung zugrunde liegende Theorie wird beispielsweise auf die ArbeitenThe fluctuations in the paint thickness shown lead to considerable consequences as it depends on the paint thickness whether the standing waves in the paint layer increase or weaken due to interference. Regarding the theory underlying this phenomenon, for example, the work

J.D. Cuthbert, Solid State Technology, August 1977, Seite 59J.D. Cuthbert, Solid State Technology, August 1977, page 59

Dietrich W. Widmann, Applied Optics, April 1975, Vol 14, No. 4, Seite 932Dietrich W. Widmann, Applied Optics, April 1975, Vol 14, No. 4, page 932

Dietrich W. Widmann and Hans Binder, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. ED-22, No. 7, July 1975, Seite 467-469
verwiesen. Im ungünstigsten Fall kann durch Unterschiede in der Lackdicke trotz homogener Belichtung ein örtlicher Unterschied in der Belichtungsintensität entstehen, welcher für die wenig belichteten Bereiche eine Verlängerung der Belichtungszeit um den Faktor 2,5 bedingt. Gravierender als die dadurch generell notwendig werdende Verlängerung der Belichtungszeit ist die Tatsache, daß die durch die Dickenunterschiede der Lackschicht bedingte verschiedene Lichtempfindlichkeit der einzelnen Oberflächenbereiche höhere Anforderungen an den Bildkontrast bedingt, d.h. die Möglichkeit der Abbildung feinerer Linien herabsetzt.Dietrich W. Widmann and Hans Binder, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, Vol. ED-22, No. 7, July 1975, pages 467-469
referred. In the worst case, differences in the thickness of the lacquer, despite homogeneous exposure, can result in a local difference in the exposure intensity, which means that the exposure time is extended by a factor of 2.5 for the less exposed areas. More serious than the generally necessary lengthening of the exposure time is the fact that the different light sensitivity of the individual surface areas due to the differences in thickness of the lacquer layer imposes higher demands on the image contrast, ie the possibility of imaging finer lines is reduced.

Wie bereits ausgeführt worden ist, lassen sich die angeführten Nachteile vermeiden, wenn die zu belichtende Halbleiterscheibe 8 bei der Belichtung ebenso wie das Projektionsobjektiv 3 in eine Flüssigkeit 6 eingetaucht wird, wie in Fig. 3 schematisch dargestellt ist. Einige Flüssigkeiten, die im Rahmen der Erfindung verwendbar sind, werden anschließend zusammen mit ihrem Brechungsindex, der in etwa jenem von Photolack (n = 1,6) entspricht, angeführt.

Figure imgb0001
As has already been explained, the disadvantages mentioned can be avoided if the semiconductor wafer 8 to be exposed, like the projection objective 3, is immersed in a liquid 6 during the exposure, as is shown schematically in FIG. 3. Some liquids which can be used in the context of the invention are then listed together with their refractive index, which corresponds approximately to that of photoresist (n = 1.6).
Figure imgb0001

Alle diese Flüssigkeiten wirken gegenüber dem Photolack benetzend. Sie liegen dicht an der Oberfläche des Lacks an, wobei Verunreinigungen unterspült und damit optisch unwirksam gemacht werden. Die zweitgenannte Gruppe von Flüssigkeiten hat zudem den Vorzugdaß sie kleinste Wassertröpfchen aufzulösen vermögen, sodaß diese nicht als kleine Kugellinsen wirken können.All of these liquids have a wetting effect on the photoresist. They are close to the Surface of the lacquer, whereby impurities are washed down and thus rendered ineffective. The second group of liquids also has the advantage that they can dissolve the smallest water droplets, so that they cannot act as small spherical lenses.

Wie bereits ausgeführt worden ist, erhöht sich durch die Verwendung der Immersionsflüssigkeit 6 automatisch die numerische Apertur der Anordnung entsprechend dem Brechungsindex der Flüssigkeit, wodurch das Auflösungsvermögen steigt. Außerdem ergibt sich die Möglichkeit, bei der Konstruktion des Objektivs mit dem Öffnungswinkel bis an die durch das Auftreten von Vignettierung gegebene Grenze zu gehen, da bei einem bestimmten Öffnungswinkel der Bildfehler eines Immersionsobjektivs geringer ist als der des trockenen Systems. Gleichzeitig erlaubt der Wegfall der beim trockenen System an der Lackoberfläche entstehenden Effekte eine Abbildung bei wesentlich herabgesetztem Bildkontrast und damit eine weitere Herabsetzung der übertragbaren Linienbreite. Ein weiterer Effekt, der mit der optischen Einrichtung und dem durch diese abgebildeten Muster nichts zu tun hat, in seiner Bedeutung jedoch keineswegs unterschätzt werden soll, wird anschließend diskutiert :As has already been explained, the use of the immersion liquid 6 automatically increases the numerical aperture of the arrangement in accordance with the refractive index of the liquid, as a result of which the resolving power increases. In addition, there is the possibility of designing the lens with the opening angle up to the limit given by the occurrence of vignetting, since at a certain opening angle the image error of an immersion lens is less than that of the dry system. At the same time, the elimination of the effects of the dry system on the paint surface allows imaging with a significantly reduced image contrast and thus a further reduction in the transferable line width. Another effect that has nothing to do with the optical device and the pattern shown by it, but whose importance should not be underestimated, is discussed below:

Obwohl die Vorbereitung der Halbleiterscheiben für die Belichtung unter Bedingungen erfolgt, die denen für einen chirurgischen Eingriff entsprechen, ist es fast unmöglich, die Scheiben völlig staubfrei unter die Belichtungseinrichtung zu bringen. Bei der Feinheit der erzeugten Strukturen kann sich aber bereits ein normales Staubkorn dahin auswirken, daß der erzeugte Schaltkreis unbrauchbar ist. Die Ausschußrate bei den heute angewendeten Verfahren ist daher hoch, obwohl versucht wird z.B. durch Abblasen der Halbleiterscheibe kurz vor der Belichtung restliche Staubteilchen zu entfernen. Ein weiteres Problem in der Schwierigkeit, die Temperatur im Belichtungsbereich möglichst konstant zu halten, wobei Schwankungen über 1 °C bereits ausgesprochen schädlich sind.Although the preparation of the semiconductor wafers for the exposure takes place under conditions which correspond to those for a surgical intervention, it is almost impossible to bring the wafers under the exposure device completely dust-free. With the fineness of the structures produced, however, a normal grain of dust can have the effect that the circuit produced is unusable. The reject rate in the methods used today is therefore high, although attempts are being made e.g. by blowing off the semiconductor wafer shortly before exposure to remove any remaining dust particles. Another problem is the difficulty in keeping the temperature in the exposure area as constant as possible, with fluctuations above 1 ° C being extremely harmful.

Sowohl die Reinigung wie die Temperaturstabilisierung der Halbleiterscheibe ergeben sich bei der in Fig. 3 und 4 dargestellten Einrichtung als natürliche Folge des erfinderischen Grundgedankens. Die auf dem Träger 1 durch Vakuumleitungen 9 festgehaltene Halbleiterscheibe 8 wird von der Flüssigkeit 6 sowohl rein gehalten wie temperiert, wobei durch in den Behälter 2 führende Zuleitungen 4 und Ableitungen 5 stets konstante Verhältnisse hergestellt werden. Diese Zu- bzw. Ableitungen, die flexibel gestaltet sind und die zur schrittweisen Belichtung notwendige Verschiebung in den Richtungen X und Y und die Justierung in Z-Richtung erlauben, gehören zu einem Kreislauf, der außer einem nicht dargestellten Vorratsbehälter eine Pumpe 10, ein Filter 11 und eine in Abhängigkeit von der festgestellten Temperatur heizende oder kühlende Temperiereinrichtung 12 umfaßt.Both the cleaning and the temperature stabilization of the semiconductor wafer result in the device shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 as a natural consequence of the inventive concept. The semiconductor wafer 8 held on the carrier 1 by vacuum lines 9 is both kept clean and tempered by the liquid 6, constant conditions being always produced by leads 4 and leads 5 leading into the container 2. These supply and discharge lines, which are designed flexibly and allow the shift in the X and Y directions and the adjustment in the Z direction necessary for step-wise exposure, belong to a circuit which, in addition to a storage container (not shown), a pump 10 and a filter 11 and a heating or cooling temperature control device 12 depending on the determined temperature.

Claims (11)

1. A photolithographic method of copying a pattern onto a semiconductor disk, particularly for the manufacture of integrated circuits, whereby a mask is imaged onto a photosensitive layer of the semiconductor disk by means of an interposed projection lens, characterized in that at least during exposure the space between the semiconductor disk and the boundary face of the projection lens facing the disk remains filled with a transparent liquid.
2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the refractive indic of the liquid is selected to be similar to the refractive index of the photosensitive layer of the semiconductor disk, preferably differing not more than 10 % from the refractive index of said layer.
3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the liquid between the semiconductor disk and the projection lens is continuously exchanged and thereby influenced with respect to its temperature and/or filtered.
4. A method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a liquid is used which wettens a resist forming the photosensitive layer and has a low viscosity.
5. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that benzene, monobromo benzene, 1-bromo-2-iodo benzene, dimethyl naphtalene or ethyl naphtalene are used.
6. A method according to claim 4, characterized in that a water-absorbing liquid is used.
7. A method according to claim 6, characterized in that 2.3-dimethyl aniline, 2-phenylethyl amine, isopropyl oxybenzene or monobromo naphtalene are used.
8. A device for implementing the method according to one of claims 1 to 7 in which a semiconductor disk is arranged below a projection lens on a support, characterized in that the support (1) is arranged in a container (2) which is open at the upper end, its upper rim lying above the lower boundary face of the projection lens (3).
9. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that the container (2) is provided with feeding and discharge pipes (4, 5) for a liquid (6).
10. A device according to claim 9, characterized in that at least one filter is provided in the liquid cycle.
11. A device according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that means for increasing and/or reducing the temperature of the liquid are provided in the liquid cycle.
EP79102675A 1979-07-27 1979-07-27 Optical lithographic method and apparatus for copying a pattern onto a semiconductor wafer Expired EP0023231B1 (en)

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AT79102675T ATE1462T1 (en) 1979-07-27 1979-07-27 OPTICAL LITHOGRAPHY PROCESS AND DEVICE FOR COPYING A PATTERN ONTO A SEMICONDUCTOR DISC.

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EP0023231A1 (en) 1981-02-04
ATE1462T1 (en) 1982-08-15

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